Propulsion apparatus



J. T. TUCKER 2,381,235

PROPULSION APPARATUS Filed March 6, 1944 L4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug. 7, 1945.

Mii;

INVEN Tok.

1 frm/VFY Aug. 7, 1945. J. T. TUCKER PRoPULsIoN APPARATUS Filed March 6, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

f 0/1/2 /Mffms Tucker Aug. 7, 1945. J. T. TUCKER PROPULSION APPARATUS Filed March 6, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. ./0 Thomas Turkei* PatentedA'ug. 7, 1945 2,381,235 rnoPULsIoN APPARATUS John Thomas Tucker, New York, N. Y. Application March s, 1944, serial No. 525,291

9 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in auxiliary apparatus for propelling barges and other craft, and marine vessels of any type which may strike a reef or otherwise S aground; or have to be driven head on ashore to unload; and-therefore require special operations or ady ditional power to oatthem free again.

An object of the invention is to provide mechanical devices which may be carried by a barge or' ship, or attached thereto, and which `are designed tol raise the hull thereof to a predetermined extent and force .the vessel by de` grees over an obstruction, or away from it, till it has been entirelycleared and the vessel delivered into water that lis deep enough for normal operation.

In -its preferred embodiment the invention comprises longitudinally arranged members, such as beams, planks or stringers, movably .securedat the necessary depth adjacent the sides and bow of the vessel, and adapted -to be laid down to rest prone upon the bottom adjacent a 4 reef or under a shallow` stretch of water; and thus form ways against' whichpower can vbe expended yto lift the ship and then' move it lengthwise till deeper water is reached. Suitable power-transmitting means is installed, with connections to enable said means to be actuated from the'powerA plant of the vessel, or another unit if desired, in conjunction with membersk vfor engaging thebeams or stringers' toimpart to the vessel ,the motions above described. The entire construction is emcient but simple. The` beams or, stringere can bedisposed insuitable open.v spaces or channels on the lower parts `or 'bottom of a vessel, such as a barge 'or Athe like,

, and the operating mechanism put near thereto; or in some casesthe beams or stringers can betemporarily Vor removablyvattaehed to the. exterior of a ships hull, with, devices annexed for I boosting and pushing the hulljafter the ship has run aground, driven from either the ships engines or other source of power.

The invention is thus Iparticularly useful for military landing operations, which demand a special type of craft for navigating shallow and Figure 1 is a top plan view of a military land.- ing barge, according to my invention, with beams of stringers elevated.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figurey 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure-i isa 'perspective view of a detail of construction. v

Figure 5 is a perspective view of one of the "w alking" beams or stringers with which the barge lis equipped.

Figure 6 is Da section on lne 6-6 of Figure 1, through the aft portion of. the vessel.

Figure '7 is a section'on line 1-1 of Figure 1 through the bow portion. l

Figure 8 is aI bottom plan of the aft portion of the vessel.

Figure 9 is a bottom plan of the bow portion.

Figures 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14 are sideviews of the barge, with the side planking or sheathing broken away to show the beams or stringers and the connections to the source of p ower, and ilustrating the parts in various stages of operation.

Figures 15,-16, 1'1 and 18 show how a vessel can pass over a reef, for example, by means of my invention.

In the following account of what the draw- Y .ings set forth, the numeral l indicates the hull of a vessel, such as a landing barge for carrying either troops, ordnance `or other eguipment; but the invention may of course be practiced in connection with different types of ships also. 'I'he barge has a gate 2, plvoted at its lower edge, in

- the bow; and when the gate is raised as shown,

the bow is closed; when lowered, this gate serves as a gang plank over which the craft can be loaded ordischarged. The pilot house of the vessel is indicated at 3. The hull of the vessel Vcomprises a number of transverse ribs or frames l, covered by inside and outside sheathing 5. Above the bottom this sheathing forms the inside deck 6, leading forward to a ramp 1 that runs up to the gate 2 at the bow. There is also dilcult waters and getting men .and equipment quickLvjashore Aupon a beachhead,4 and then standing oifshore again; and it can also heemployed for grounded ships of ordinary design to facilitate salvage operations.

The objects and advantages of the invention are fully setforth in the ensuing description and the novel4 features are .deiined -in theY ap- Dended claimsQ'- But the-disclosure isof course explanatory only and variations' in shape, size and other details:v may be adopted in practice without departure from the underlying principle u -of the improvement.

' On-the drawings, which disclose the best design of my invention nowknown to me;

i a top deck 6' at the stern, upon which the pilot v l house is'reared, and vforward of this top deck are bulwarks 8 extending to'the bow along the two sides. Upon thev bottom at the stern are the two skegs 8, with extensions I0, upon which 'the` lower ends of the rudders l2 are pivoted.

The craft maybe driven by power-generating units orengines l2, operating a pair of shafts I 3. in the"vertical planes o'f the skegs and carryilg Propellersv I4..

The essence of the invention resides in the beams which form ways and the apparatus for raising the barge upon Ythese ways and impelling the;vessel step by step over Aor away from a reef or other obstruction. These ways are providedl by a pair of beams I5 at the lower part or bottom of the vessel along the4 sides,v and a.. central beam I6 under the bow: t0 liit the bow whenever the nose of the craft runs upon a reef or upon a shore or beach. To receive the side beams the outer corners of a number of the ribs 4 are cut out to form recesses as shown at I1, and spaces are left in the outside sheathing as indi- 'cated at I8. These spaces and recesses constitute j longitudinal openings or channels in which the beams IIE can move both lengthwise and up and down. For the bow stringer I6 additional notches I9 are cut in the center of several ribs in the front half of the ship, and opening 20 is made in the sheathing to permit this beam to be actuated in the same manner as the side beams. To move these beams III and I6, they are engaged by members or cranks 22 on rotating shafts which first depress the beams, then lift the vessel and boost it forward or rearward; and afterwards raise the beams or ways and advance them to their next'position, so that the operation can be repeated. 'Ihis is done as often as needed to carry the barge once more into water of the required depth. Of course, several beams I8 may be mounted at the bow, and the shafts and cranks will be sufficiently strong and numerous to serve the intended purpose.

The beams I5 extend from midship to the stern, andthe beam I6 from midship )to bow.`

In action, both ends of the craft are lifted, and

the weight nicely distributed fore and aft over.V

the members lb and I6.

- Cranks 22 are fixed t both ends of shafts 2l, three of which are shown to actuate the side beams I5. The cranks on these shafts engage members 23, 24 and 25 mounted on the beams I 5. 'Each rear member 23 has a vertical slot therein for one of the cranks 22; each central member 24 is open at the top and has a relatively wide space or recess therein; and each fore member 25 has a substantially square opening in its forward end, this opening being preferably of less height than the slots in the members 23, so that thebeams I5 can be lifted a bit at the front ends as they are shifted forward. Besides the shafts 2|, a transmission shaft 26 is mounted in the hull and sprocket wheel-and-chain or other. gearing is provided to transmit power from the engines I2 to all the members 22.` The shaft 26 is near the engines I2, and is connectedthereto by means of clutches shown at 21 and bevel gearing 28. The shaft 28 revolves in suitably supported bearings 29; and at one end itl projects through the inside sheathing E and has xed thereon in the space between the inner and outer sheathing 5 a sprocket wheel 30. This wheel is geared by a chain 3l to asimilar wheel '32 on the \55 adjacent-end of the nearest shaft 2|, the cranks on which engage the rear members 23 of the side beams I5. f J

The opposite end of this shaft 2| bears a sprocket wheel 34 over which runs a chain 32a-v to a sprocket on the adjacent end of .the middle cranks, sprockets and .chains of the.y shafts 2|,.

Ias well as those for the beam I6\ to be described presently; and the three shafts 2I rotate in bearings 33mounted between the bottom and the inner deck 6. The outer cut-away corners ofseveralribs 4 may be further recessed, .as at 35 to give clearance to the chains 32a.

A shaft as is added to street the operation of the bow beam I6. This is mounted in bearings 29a placed between the ramp 1 and the bottom. A crank 22 at one end thereof engages a vertically slotted member 33 near the forward end of the beam I6; and on theopposite end this shaft 36 carries a sprocket 34 connected by another chain 32a. to the forward shaft 2i; which carries a sprocket wheel 34 to receive this chain on the end remote from that connected as above described by chain to the middle shaft 2l. The beam I6 also has mounted thereon a horizontally slotted member 31 through which the forward shaft 2I passes. 'The crank 22 on shaft 3S depresses and lifts the front endv of the beam I8, but not the rear end thereof, and shifts it lengthwise also. l

So long as the barge has plenty of water under it, the' beams I5 and I6 may be carried in the positions which they assume when all the cranks 22 are at the uppermost points of their revolution, as in Figures 10 and 15. Here the cranks for the members 23 and 26 engage the tops of.V

ward by the'cranks 22, as shown in Figures 11 and 16. As the cranks revolve further, the be :f- 1 all go down to make contact with the bottom or reef, taking the positions shown in Figures 6 and 12; and the forward end of the beam iii is ready to be forced downto raise the nose of the craft. The cranks next thrust against the members 23, 24, 25 and 38, lifting the ship and boosting it ahead; as illustrated in Figures 13,

t 14 and 1'?. The beams are now raised to allow the ship to settle and the operation repeated till the ship clears the obstruction, as indicated in Figure 18. The vessel can be driven both forward and in the reverse direction. It can be iinpelled along the bottom close to a shore and then pulled off. again as soon as it is unloaded, without risk of beingv stranded and turned broadside in the surf and being seriously damaged. To this end the clutches 21 can be designed to connect the-shaft 23 for rotation in either direction, or other gearing installed for'such a purpose. The rear ends of the` beams AI5 may beupcurved on their lower faces, or fitted with curved ers 39 to facilitate propulsion sternward, as illus- ,I

trated in Figures 15, 16, 17. and 18.

I have shown and described the invention with all the cranks 22 set to turn in phase and move the barge lengthwise, either *forward or backward, by operating all the beams simultaneously. But I can also, by settingl the crankson one mele a half revolution away from those on the other, propel the barge by lifting and thrusting against the two'side beams Il in alternation, if desired.

'I'he principle of the invention can of course be used on large ships for ordinary salvage,y operations 'when a vessel has run aground. The beams can either be installed directly on such ships, or built into elongated floats or ponLoons, each containing one or more beams, and adapted to be secured tothe sides of a grounded ship or under its bottom."A Each float orspontoon can carry its own set of cranks and these can be operated either from the ships engines. or by sired, to: add to the buoyancy of the craft.

It is obvious that my invention is capable of driving a barge over not only reefs and the like,

, but also over log booms and similar obstructions placed offshore to hinder the advance of the attacking forces,

Having describedl my invention,4 what Ibelieve to be new is:

1. Apparatus for propelling a vessel comprising depressible beams mounted adjacent the sides of the vessel at its lower parts and extending from midship to stern, abeam disposed centrally under the vesseland extending froml midship to bow, power-transmitting means, members actuated by said power-transmitting means to lower ,said beams repeatedly upon the bottom of the water under the vessel to propel the latter, and means for 'connecting said transmitting means to a power supply unit.

2-. Apparatus for propelling a vessel having a framework comprising a series of ribs, inside sheathing secured to the ribs, outside sheathing onsthe ribs, the outside sheathing having openings through the lower parts of the vessel, power transmission means carried by said vessel, lbeams mounted adjacent saidv openings and depressible through same, connections disposed between said inner and outer sheathing from said means to said beams to displace the latter through said openings and move the vessel, and a power unit for the transmission means.

3. Apparatus for propelling a vessel having a framework comprising a` series of ribs, inside sheathing secured to the ribs, outside sheathing' on the ribs, the outside sheathing having openings through the lower part of the vessel, a power shaft in the vessel, a power-generating unit f in the vessel for connection with the shaft, bearings for mounting said shaft, one or more shafts connected to the power shaft, beams adjacent said openings and depressible through same, and members on said beams connected with said shafts to displace said beams through said openings and move the vessel.

4. Apparatus for propelling a vessel having a `framework comprising a series of ribs, inside 'the vessel, and a power-generating unit for the transmission means'. l

5. Apparatus kfor propellinga vessel having a framework comprising a series of ribs, inside sheathing secured to the ribs, outside sheathing on the ribs, the outside sheathing having openings through the lower part of the vessel, a power shaftv carried by the vessel, a power-generating unit in the vessel for connection with the shaft, bearings for mounting said shaft, one or more shafts connected to the power shaft, longitudinal beams adjacent said openings and depressible through same, and interengaging members on said beams and said shafts to displace said beams through said openings and move the vessel. j l

6. Apparatus for propelling a vessel having a framework comprising a series of ribs, inside sheathing secured to the ribs, outside sheathing on the ribs, the outside sheathing having openings through the lower parts at the sides and an opening through said lower parts adjacent the bow of said vessel, a power shaft and a powergenerating unit therefor in said vessel, bearings to mount the shaft and enable itto project into the space between said sheathing, beams adjacent the openings at said sides and depressible through same, one or more shafts connected'to the power shaft, interengaging members on said beams and all said shafts to cause displacement of said beams as the shafts rotate, a beam adjacent the opening in the bow, a shaft adjacent the bow also connected to the power shaft, and a member on said last-named shaft connected with the beam atthe bow to operate the latter.

7. Apparatus `for propelling a vessel having a framework comprising a series of ribs, inside sheathing secured to the ribs, outside sheathing on the ribs, the outside sheathing having longitudinally extending openings through the lower parts of the vessel at thesides thereof and an opening through said lower parts under the bow, a power shaft and a power-generating unit therefor in said vessel, bearings to mount the shaft and enable it to project into the space between said sheathings, longitudinally extending beams adjacent the openings in said sides and depressible through same, one or more shafts connected to the power shaft, interengaging members on said beams and said shafts to cause displacement of said beams as the shafts rotate, a longitudinally extending beam adjacent the opening in the bow, and depressible through same, a shaft adjacent the opening at the bow connected to the bow connected to the power shaft, and a member on said last-named shaft connected with the beam at the bow to operate the latter.

8. Apparatus for propelling a vessel comprising depressible, way-forming members adjacent the sides of the vessel at the lower parts thereof, a similar member under the bow, a fixed support slidably engaged by the last-named member, adjacent its rear end, power-transmitting means carried by said vessel, means actuated by said power-transmitting means to engage said members and move the vessel, and advance said members into position for further progress by said vessel, Y

9. Apparatus for propelling a vessel comprising depressible way-forming members extending longitudinally of the vessel adjacent the sides at the lower parts, a similar member under the bow, the members at the sides extending sub.- stantially from midship to stern and the remaining member from midship to bow, a fixed support slidably engaged by the last-named member, adjacent its rear end, power-transmitting means carried by said vessel, means actuated by said transmitting means to engage said members and move the vessel lengthwise, and forad vancing said members into position to urge the vessel further.

JOHNTHOMAS TUCKER. 

